FRUITS OF MICROPROPAGATED STRAWBERRY (FRAGARIAANANASSA) PLANTS EXHIBITED HIGHER ANTIOXIDANT METABOLITES AS COMPARED TO IN VIVO GROWN PLANTS

Berry crops have the highest concentrations of antioxidant metabolites, which have a considerable potential to reduce the risk of a variety of degenerative diseases. This work aimed to provide a standardized protocol for microporpagation of Fragaria ananassa from stem segment explants and to compare the antioxidant metabolites of aqueous extracts of fruits from In vitro and In vivo derived plants. Earliest callus induction (7.33 days) with maximum response (93.33%) was observed on MS medium containing 0.5 mg L^-1 2,4-D + 0.5 mg L^-1 NAA. The earliest shoot induction (within 13.33 days from callus masses), maximum shooting frequency (80.33%) and highest number of shoots (a mean of 5.67 shoots per callus) was obtained on MS media supplemented with 1.5 mg L^-1 TDZ. Earliest rooting (8.67 days), maximum rooting response (66.33%) and highest number of roots (6.33 per individual shoots) was noted on MS half strength media containing 1 mg L^-1IBA. Number of fruits and yield per plant was higher In vivo as compared to micropropagated plants. In contrast, total anthocyanin, total phenolic and ascorbic acid content were found higher in micropropagated plants as compared to In vivo plants. High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) showed that the anthocyanins pigments from fruits of micro propagated plants were identical with field grown plants, and appeared on the ODS-column HPLC with higher retention time than the main pigments of field grown crop.These findings suggest that the fruits of micropropgated strawberry plants could be utilized as a source of bioactive substances with antioxidant properties in industrial applications.